Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999  [1999 : Mah. XXXIII

GOVERNMENT OF MAHARASHTRA

LAW  AND  JUDICIARY  DEPARTMENT

MAHARASHTRA ACT NO. XXXIII OF 1999

THE  MAHARASHTRA  PROHIBITION  OF
RAGGING  ACT,  1999.

(As modified upto the  29th August 2012)

*

PRINTED  IN  INDIA  BY  THE  MANAGER,  GOVERNMENT  CENTRAL  PRESS,  MUMBAI
AND  PUBLISHED  BY  THE  DIRECTOR,  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING,  STATIONERY  AND
PUBLICATIONS,  MAHARASHTRA  STATE,  MUMBAI  400  004

2012

[Price  :  Rs.  8]

1999 : Mah. XXXIII]

(i)

THE MAHARASHTRA PROHIBITION OF RAGGING
ACT, 1999

CONTENTS

PREAMBLE.
SECTIONS.
1.
2.
  3.
4.

Short  title  and  commencement.
Definitions.
Prohibition of ragging.
Penalty for ragging.

5.
6.

7.
8.

Dismissal of student.
Suspension of student.

Deemed  abetment.
Power  to  make  rules.

H  777—1

1999 : Mah. XXXIII ] Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999

1

MAHARASHTRA ACT No. XXXIII OF 19991.

[ THE MAHARASHTRA PROHIBITION OF RAGGING
ACT, 1999. ]

(This  Act  received  the  assent  of  the  Governor  on  the  13th
May 1999 ; assent was first published in the Maharashtra
Government Gazette, Part  IV, Extraordinary, on  the 15th
May 1999.)

An Act to prohibit ragging  in educational institutions in the

State of Maharashtra.

WHEREAS it is expedient to enact a special law to prohibit ragging
in  educational  institutions  in  the  State  of  Maharashtra;  It  is  hereby
enacted  in  the  Fiftieth  Year  of  the  Republic  of  India  as  follows  :—

1.

(1) This Act may be called the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging

Act, 1999.

(2) It shall come into force on such *date as the State Government

may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

Short  title
and
commence-
ment.

2.

In  this  Act,  unless  the  context  otherwise  requires,—

Definitions.

(a) “educational institution” means and includes a college, or other
institution  by  whatever  name  called,  carrying  on  the  activity  or

imparting  education  therein  (either  exclusively  or  among  other
activities); and includes an orphanage or a boarding home or hostel or
a  tutorial  institution  or  any  other  premises  attached  thereto  ;

1  For  Statement  of  Objects  and  Reasons,  see  Maharashtra  Government  Gazette,

Part  V-A,  Extraordinary,  dated  the  7th  April  1999,  p.  169.

*  1st  June  1999,  vide  G.  N.,  H.  &  T.E.D.,  No.  Sankirna.  1098/(133/98)/UNI-3,
dated  the  19th  May  1999,  published  in  Maharashtra  Government  Gazette,  1999,  Part
IV-B,  Extra,  No.  301,  p.  2.

(G.C.P.)  H  777—2  (4742—9-2012)

2

Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999  [1999 : Mah. XXXIII

(b) “head of the educational institution” means the Vice-Chancellor

of the University, Dean of Medical Faculty, Director of the Institution

or  the  Principal,  Headmaster  or  the  person  responsible  for  the

management  of  the educational  institution  ;

(c) “ ragging ” means display of disorderly conduct, doing of any act

which  causes  or  is  likely  to  cause  physical  or  psychological  harm  or

raise  apprehension  or fear  or  shame  or  embarrassment to  a  student

in any educational institution and includes—

(i) teasing, abusing, threatening or playing practical jokes on, or

causing  hurt  to,  such  student  ;  or

(ii) asking  a student to do  any act or perform  something which

such  student  will  not,  in  the  ordinary  course,  willingly,  do.

Prohibition
of  ragging.

Penalty  for
ragging.

3.  Ragging  within  or  outside  of  any  educational  institution  is

prohibited.

4. Whoever  directly  or  indirectly  commits,  participates  in,

abets  or  propagates  ragging  within  or  outside  any  educational

institution  shall,  on  conviction,  be  punished  with  imprisonment

for a term which may extend to two years and shall also be liable to

a  fine  which  may  extend  to  ten  thousand  rupees.

Dismissal
o f
student.

5. Any  student  convicted  of  an  offence  under  section  4  shall  be

dismissed from the educational institution and such student shall not

be  admitted  in  any  other  educational  institution  for  a  period  of  five

years  from  the  date  of  order  of  such  dismissal.

    Suspension
of  student.

 6.

(1) Whenever  any student or, as  the case may be,  the parent

or guardian,  or a teacher of  an educational institution  complains, in

writing, of ragging to the head of the educational institution, the head

of that educational institution shall, without prejudice to the foregoing

provisions, within seven days of the receipt of the complaint, enquire

into  the matter  mentioned in  the complaint  and if,  prima facie,  it  is

found  true,  suspend  the  student  who  is  accused  of  the  offence,  and

shall, immediately forward the complaint to the Police Station having

jurisdiction  over  the  area  in  which  the  educational  institution  is

situated, for  further action.

1999 : Mah. XXXIII ] Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999

3

(2) Where, on enquiry by the head of the educational institution,
it is proved that there is no substance, prima facie, in the complaint
received under sub-section (1), he shall intimate the fact, in writing,
to the  complainant.

(3) The decision of the head of the educational institution that the
student has indulged in ragging under sub-section (1), shall be final.

7.

If  the  head  of  the  educational  institution  fails  or  neglects  to
take action in the manner specified in section 6 when a complaint of
ragging  is  made,  such  person  shall  be  deemed  to  have  abetted  the
offence of ragging and shall, on conviction, be punished as provided for
in  section  4.

Deemed
abetment.

8.

(1)  The State  Government  may, by  notification  in the  Official
Gazette,  make  rules  for  carrying  out  all  or  any  of  the  purposes  of
this Act.

Power  to
make  rules.

(2) Every rule made under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be,
after it is made, before each House of the State Legislature, while it
is in session for a total period of thirty days, which may be comprised
in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the
expiry of the session in which it is so laid or the session immediately
following, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rules
or  both  Houses  agree  that  the  rule  should  not  be  made,  and  notify
such decision in the Official Gazette, the rule shall, from the date of
publication of such notification, have effect only in such modified form
or  be  of  no  effect,  as  the  case  may  be  ;  so  however,  that  any  such
modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of
anything  previously  done  or  omitted  to  be  done  under  that  rule.

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